Relating to collective bargaining, health insurance for a surviving spouse and children of certain employees of the department of corrections, assaults on persons engaged in certain occupations, and certain operational and employment matters involving the department of corrections, and providing penalties

The bill allows public safety employees to be the subject of a separate bargaining unit if they comprise fewer than percent of the current unit and the majority of the public safety employees support a petition to form a new unit. ELECTIONS.15 concerning the certification of public employee organization certification and replaces it with language which does not require recertification. The bill provides that upon the filing of a petition for certification of an employee organization, the public employment relations board shall submit a question to the public employees at an election in the bargaining unit found appropriate by the board. The public employees may vote for no bargaining representation or for any employee organization which has petitioned for certification or which has presented proof satisfactory to the board of support of percent or more of the public employees in the appropriate unit. If none of the choices on the ballot receives the vote of a majority of the public employees voting, the board shall conduct a runoff election among the two choices receiving the greatest number of votes. Upon completion of a valid election in which the majority choice of the employees voting is determined, the board shall certify the results of the election and shall give reasonable notice of the order to all employee organizations listed on the ballot, the public employers, and the public employees in the appropriate bargaining unit. A petition for certification as exclusive bargaining representative of a bargaining unit shall not be considered by the board for a period of one year from the date of the noncertification of an employee organization as the exclusive bargaining representative of that bargaining unit following a certification election, and a petition for certification as the exclusive bargaining representative of a bargaining unit shall not be considered by the board if the bargaining unit is at that time represented by a certified exclusive bargaining representative. The bill provides that a petition for the decertification of the exclusive bargaining representative of a bargaining unit shall not be considered by the board for a period of one year from the date of its certification, or within one year of its continued certification following a decertification election, or during the duration of a collective bargaining agreement which, for purposes of the bill, shall be deemed not to exceed two years. A collective bargaining agreement with the state, its boards, commissions, departments, and agencies shall be for two years.17(6). DIVISION II —— HEALTH INSURANCE COVERAGE —— SURVIVING SPOUSE AND CHILDREN OF CERTAIN DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS EMPLOYEES. The bill provides that if the governing body of the state has procured health insurance coverage for its employees, the governing body of the state shall be required to pay for the full cost of continuing health insurance for the surviving spouse and any surviving children of an employee of the Iowa department of corrections whose death has been determined by the department to be the direct and proximate result of a traumatic personal injury incurred in the line of duty. Current law provides that the governing body of the state shall not be required to pay for the cost of the health insurance for a surviving spouse and any surviving children under such circumstances; however, the governing body of the state may pay the full cost or a portion of the cost of the health insurance. DIVISION III —— ASSAULTS ON PERSONS ENGAGED IN CERTAIN OCCUPATIONS.1, against a peace officer, jailer, correctional staff, member or employee of the board of parole, health care provider, employee of the department of human services, employee of the department of revenue, civilian employee of a law enforcement agency, civilian employee of a fire department, or fire fighter, whether paid or volunteer, who knows that the person against whom the assault is committed is a peace officer, jailer, correctional staff, member or employee of the board of parole, health care provider, employee of the department of human services, employee of the department of revenue, civilian employee of a law enforcement agency, civilian employee of a fire department, or fire fighter which causes bodily injury or mental illness from an aggravated misdemeanor to a class “D” felony, or for any other assault from a serious misdemeanor to an aggravated misdemeanor. A class “D” felony is punishable by confinement for no more than five years and a fine of at least $1,025 but not more than $10,245. An aggravated misdemeanor is punishable by confinement for no more than two years and a fine of at least $855 but not more than $8,540.2 for a first conviction, and shall lose all earned time for a second or subsequent conviction. The bill provides that if the county attorney of the county where a violation of the bill occurs against a jailer or correctional staff by a person who is in the custody and control of the department of corrections in any correctional institution or a county jail or other facility used for purposes of confinement fails to prosecute the case against the person, the area prosecutions division of the attorney general’s office may elect to prosecute the case. DIVISION IV —— DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS —— CONTRABAND AND SURVEILLANCE CAMERAS —— TRAUMA EVENTS. The bill provides that for fiscal years beginning on or after July 1, 2022, the department of corrections shall increase funding for screening for contraband and surveillance cameras at all state correctional facilities and for upgrades to provide an enhanced system to improve the safety and efficiency of operations at all state correctional facilities. The department of corrections shall amend its administrative rules to allow for to days of paid leave for employees of the department who have witnessed a trauma event and to allow for up to days of paid leave for employees of the department who have been held hostage.